My Local Buy Story | fr&nk Capability Leaders

Published on 18 February 2026

Feature article by fr&nk Capability Leaders

fr&nk Capability Leaders is a majority First Nations–owned consultancy delivering workplace health and safety, psychosocial risk management, leadership, and governance services across Australia. The business was established in response to what we were seeing in the field—strong systems documented on paper, yet workers and leaders struggling to apply them in real‑world conditions. We built fr\&nk Capability Leaders to focus on capability rather than compliance alone, helping organisations embed practical systems, strengthen leadership behaviours, and foster everyday safety customs that genuinely reflect how people work.

Our work is built around three pillars: Systems, Customs and People. We support organisations to put practical, usable systems in place, strengthen the way safety shows up in daily work, and build the confidence and capability of their people at every level. We take time to understand how work is done on the ground and shape solutions around real contexts rather than relying on generic templates.

Psychosocial risk management is a significant part of our work. We regularly support organisations to better understand workload pressures, role clarity, supervision challenges, exposure to trauma, and other psychosocial hazards that sit behind many safety and wellbeing issues. This work is supported through worker insight sessions, leadership discussions and data analysis, which we then translate into practical improvements to work design and leadership practice.

We also deliver our Local Government–specific Remote Assurance and Capability (RAC) Program, which allows councils of all sizes and locations to access consistent, high-quality safety and psychosocial support through a mix of remote assurance and targeted on‑the‑ground engagement.

We joined Local Buy to provide councils with an easy, compliant and efficient way to engage our services while maintaining strong procurement governance. Much of our work grows through relationships and referrals, and Local Buy provides a trusted framework that supports engagement at scale. It allows councils to move quickly when support is needed while maintaining confidence that procurement requirements are already addressed.

Our work with councils typically occurs through a combination of Direct Contact and RFQ, depending on internal approval processes and project scope.

Fr&nk Capability Leaders are appointed to the following Local Buy Arrangements:

• LB327 Training Services
• LB328 People and Wellbeing Services

We have many examples of working with councils, but one we are particularly proud of is our engagement with Banana Shire Council. We were engaged via direct contact by the Chief Executive Officer to support the uplift of the Council’s safety and psychosocial risk management capability across both operational and leadership groups. The work has been delivered over multiple phases and has included worker insight sessions, the redesign of key safety processes using usability mapping, and delivery of the LEAD‑R leadership program.

The focus of the work has been on making safety and wellbeing practical, relevant and embedded in everyday work, with a strong emphasis on psychosocial hazards such as workload, role clarity and leader support. Outcomes for Council have included stronger worker engagement, improved confidence in reporting, and leaders feeling more capable of having meaningful safety and wellbeing conversations with their teams. This work continues to inform the Council’s broader safety and capability approach.

"We have received very positive feedback for LEAD‑R Training. We have had numerous requests by individuals to be added to the next training session, and they are disappointed they have not had this opportunity to attend. It is unheard of for staff to request training. Staff are spreading the word on the value, positive and relatable content delivered during the course. The course is delivered at a level of understanding relating to all and providing a safe and respectful environment to speak openly."
Joanne Murphy, Coordinator – L&D, Banana Shire Council